


Easing tension

by kitbug



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Prompt Fic, Shoulder rubs, Sole Survivor (Mass Effect), slight h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 01:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15132167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitbug/pseuds/kitbug
Summary: Shepard is very tense after facing down Grunt's thresher maw.  Thane knows just how to help.





	Easing tension

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fic: pairing of my choice, shoulder rubs

“This was the best day of my life!” Grunt exulted as he slid onto a stool at the portside lounge bar.  He gave Shepard a toothy grin as she pulled a bottle from the shelf and settled in next to him. “And you, you were amazing!  When you headbutted that jackass like a true krogan, I was in awe!”

“Well, my C.O.s always said I was as hard-headed as a krogan.  I guess they were right.” She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck with a wince.  “But my neck sure as hell isn’t.”

“Yeah, you humans sure have real skinny necks.”  He nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing his ice blue eyes.  “How do you keep from like… snapping them all the time?”

“Talent, I guess.”  Shepard shrugged and poured herself a shot of ryncol before passing the bottle to Grunt.  Since Cerberus’ enhancements, she found she could actually stomach the stuff. She threw back the shot and grimaced at the burn.  It would be worth it once the alcohol settled in.

“It was a very impressive headbutt, siha.”

Shepard turned to see Thane leaning against the entryway.  She waved him over to join them. The Normandy bucked slightly as the mass effect relay pushed it into FTL, pulling a pained hiss from her as she rocked with it.  Cool fingers pressed into the taut cords of her neck. She stiffened instinctively, despite knowing who it was. She glanced over her shoulder to see him standing there, his head tilted with an unspoken question.  Shepard nodded her assent. She released a stuttering breath and forced herself to relax as he dug into the sore muscles.

“Your neck is stronger than most,” Thane said, his gravelly voice thicker with amusement.  “Though headbutting a krogan wasn’t the wisest thing I’ve seen you do.”

Shepard groaned when he hit a particularly thick knot in the base of her neck.  “I don’t take well to people insulting my crew,” she growled. “Or arguing with me, krogan or not.”

“A true battlemaster!  I will never be prouder than when we proved our strength in the rite and killed the asshole when he challenged us again, even after we killed the thresher maw!” Grunt crowed and threw back a long drink straight from the bottle.  “I will sing battle songs of this day!”

She felt Thane pause as she tensed and suppressed a shudder at the mention of the giant monster.  When she relaxed again, he continued.

“Some people are-- _christ_ , _Thane_ \--just too stupid to live,” she gasped out as he ground his fused knuckles into her trapezius muscles.  

“My apologies.  Was that too much?” he asked and soothed the area with a gentle rub of his fingertips.  When she grunted a negative, he hummed lightly and renewed his efforts, working his way slowly up the sides and back of her neck.

She leaned forward to rest her elbows on the bar and gestured to Grunt to pour her another shot from his ryncol.  “You’re… really good at this.”

“Irikah often suffered a stiff neck after long hours in the lab.  Human musculature is very similar, though not as dense,” he replied easily.  “And such anatomical knowledge is necessary for my profession.”

The reminder of his profession should have had her worried about giving one of the most notorious assassins in the galaxy free access to her neck.  She had seen for herself what those hands were capable of. His fingers ghosted along her throat as his thumbs worked the back of her neck. The touch was light as a feather, but sent a tiny shiver down her spine.  She wondered if he felt it.

The concern she might have had was swiftly forgotten when his thumbs bored into the muscles at the base of her skull.  The noise she made drew an uncomfortable cough from Grunt, who grabbed the bottle of ryncol off the bar swiftly excused himself with a mumble she barely heard.  Thane let out an amused snort. Shepard was too far gone to even pretend to care, feeling like putty in the drell’s capable hands. It was nice to have someone take care of her for a change.

“Are you well, siha?”

“I mean, barring a few bruises and the stiff neck you’re fixing, yeah.”  She shrugged out of her hoodie so he could go lower unhindered. He placed it on the bar next to her.  “What makes you think I’m not?”

Knots brought on by the kickback of her shotgun and two lifetimes' worth of stress were tamed by strong fingers.  A tremor began to run through her as tension she hadn’t even realized she possessed drained out of her as he trailed back down her neck and into her shoulders.  It had been close, when the thresher maw reared from the ground.

“You are far more tense than usual, and...”  He paused like he was considering his next words carefully.  “The way you froze today was concerning.”

Shepard inhaled sharply through her nose.  She’d been hoping he wouldn’t bring that up, but knew it was inevitable, considering he’d thrown himself at her to knock her out of the path of its acid spray.  Thankfully, Grunt had been too excited to notice his battlemaster freezing like a raw recruit.

“The last time I was on the ground with thresher maws, my entire squad died.”  She laughed, but it was a flat, hollow thing. “Though I suppose that was good practice for today.  One’s a lot easier to take down than three.”

“Akuze,” he said quietly and pressed cool lips to the back of her neck.  “I apologize, siha. I did not intend to bring up bad memories.”

“It’s alright,” she sighed and pillowed her head on her forearms.  “I’ve come to terms with it. And we all survived today, mostly unharmed.  That helps a lot.”

“You’re very strong to be able to put it behind you.  Not many people are capable of that.”

“Yeah, well… dying puts a lot of things into perspective.”  His hands had stilled at the base of her spine and she gave him a critical look over her shoulder.  “You done? My hips could use some work too.”

Thane’s brows rose with mock innocence, and he dug his thumbs into the sides of her pelvis.  She let out a hissed swear that made him chuckle. “That would be difficult to take care of in your current position.”  

“I guess you’ll have to come up to the loft and take care of me properly.”  She slid off the stool and out of his hands. She lingered in the doorway and gave him a wicked grin.  “And then I’ll help _you_ relax.”

That set his dark eyes burning, and he followed close behind.  “Sounds like an excellent way to spend the evening.”

**Author's Note:**

> tumblargh is [here](http://kittlesandbugs.tumblr.com) if you wanna swing by and say hi or whatever


End file.
